The KND Traitors: Fall of the Commanders
by Synaptic-Firefly
Summary: People change, but memories stay the same. I want to go back to that place in time where we were all together instead of finding you on that opposite side. What makes one loyal? What makes another a traitor? Tell me your story.
1. 01 Dark Side of the Moon

**Summary: **_People change, but memories stay the same. I want to go back to that place in time where we were all together instead of finding you on that opposite side. What makes one loyal? What makes another a traitor? Tell me your story._

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Suggestive situations, mild language, Infinity's tacky interior design**

* * *

**Dark Side of the Moon**

If you wanted all the perks of an intergalactic counterintelligence group designed to defend youth throughout the galaxy, become a _Station Commander_. Numbuh Infinity was just the type of guy for milking his salary for all it was worth. To be invited to his office/living quarters was truly a sight to behold if you hadn't seen it yet.

Black leather seating, low iridescent gold lighting and ugly intergalactic art pieces practically ate what was once a military bunk until it regurgitated into something you'd see from a scifi villain's bachelor pad. And that was the _nicest_ way of going about it.

Chad wasn't the type to dance around it and he wasn't afraid to even warn _Nigel_ how tacky the office was ahead of time. Infinity was the mac-daddy of expensive tastes because that was who he was: a fancy pencil-pusher with an even fancier name overcompensating for a fancy office.

Even his _stylus_ was state-of-the-art.

Nigel had to agree with that sentiment. He took in the wall-length windows behind Infinity's desk that weren't really windows. Such a thing was a structural weakness to photon torpedo attacks. Instead they were reflector panels that reversed the image of space outside, giving the _illusion_ that they were windows.

It always bothered Nigel. For someone who spent his days charting out strategic tactical defenses for his team using those very same stars, sometimes he had to visibly ignore it lest he become disoriented.

Thankfully, the data disk on Infinity's desk kept his attention away from it because all eyes were on it and Infinity's next words were tinged with irritation.

"Are you sure you cannot take this mission, Operative Cronus?" he stressed once more. "This is the only time I can approve shore leave back to Earth. Ever. I had figured you wanted to return home."

"Of course I _want_ to return home," replied Nigel, though his brow was pulled down considerably in conflict. "but you're asking me to... I know what they did was wrong, but I used to work with them in the Kids Next Door. I would be..."

Infinity exhaled through his nose. "Emotionally compromised?" It was a good excuse, or perhaps it wasn't an excuse at all. Cronus had always been frank and honest when it came to his job. "I am aware of your history, but I did not expect _Theia_ would draw this kind of response from you."

"She wouldn't do the things you're implying!" Nigel snarled which caused Infinity to step back coolly. "You must have gotten your intel wrong or maybe she was blackmailed, I don't know! I'm sorry Infinity, but this is one mission I'm not taking. Even if I'm allowed to go back to Earth." He would rather live in ignorance than believe what he was hearing. "Lots of things have changed on Earth, I bet. I wouldn't be able to handle all of that. Not with the war going on."

Which is probably why Infinity's next option was Chad. Unlike Cronus, Hyperion was absolutely ruthless on the field without compromising his loyalty to the cause. Personal relationships have never been the driving force nor would it ever. "Would you kindly send the dossier to Operative Hyperion then? He has not been answering my hails."

"I wonder why," Nigel drawled in a deadpan. The older teen had always been notorious for one thing on base.

"Now, now," admonished Infinity. He leaned back in his posh leather seat. "I know you two are not the best of friends, but even_ I_ see how invaluable Hyperion is despite his councilor position. He is most likely busy debriefing one of the station operatives and cannot be disturbed."

* * *

She shoved him backwards onto the leather couch. That made him grin. "I take it you're not happy with the debriefing then." Her unnaturally hued fingers, tinged in a light blue, ran down his bare chest and that only served to amuse him more.

"Maybe if you got to the _actual_ debriefing, I would," she teased and took a step back from his wandering hands. His cold blue eyes traveled over yellow skin which gave way to green the further toward her limbs and then blue at the tips. That was the typical chameleon skin of the seductive Klynodel race.

They have other interesting perks as well.

She spun around in her small clothes, showing off more of her young adult body. "What's next?" Vesta purred and her skin began to change color. "You humans and your mute colored bodies. How do you attract _anything_ in this universe?"

"Charisma," growled Chad which caused her to giggle when his grin turned predatory. "We're also _very_ aggressive."

"Obviously. Because your sense of imagination is horrible." Once again her skin turned a pale shade and her red and orange dreadlocks shimmered into a shade of gold before she turned completely into a mirage of a human woman. "At least let me shake it up a little. Blue highlights? Maybe a darker skin tone."

He snorted. "I didn't ask you to come here so I can play Barbie with you. I'm more of a vanilla type of guy."

The lock on his door clicked and sounded an alert chime. The only other person with overriding access to his door besides Infinity walked into his quarters and frowned at the state of the two occupants' uniforms... or lack thereof. "I'm obviously interrupting."

"Yeah you kind of are. Vanish."

Despite Chad's dismissal, Nigel refused to move and glared which made Vesta squeak around to hurriedly pick up her uniform. "Sorry Cronus!" she grinned and kissed Nigel on the cheek before winking at Chad. "_Bye Hyperion_."

The blond young man lazily waved from his place on the couch and she left, leaving the both of them alone once more. Nigel continued to watch Vesta disappear and then raised an eyebrow at his former commander. "Narcissistic much?" he drawled. "Out of all the combinations a Klynodel can offer you and you pick a _blond_ girl."

"Nothing wrong with blonds," said Chad before he got up and started patting his pants down for an I-sig. "Blonds have more fun." And if Nigel asked anyone on base who was the most personable human to hang out with, they'd pick _Operative Hyperion_, aka the human who was currently looking for an I-sig and failing miserably at it. "Oh right. I forgot you're more into _redheads_."

His grin returned when Nigel turned a nice shade of purple. Lizzie Devine was such a sensitive topic. You'd think six years would help the emotionally stunted teen into moving on. But then again, Nigel Uno wasn't exactly a normal person, let alone human.

A sound of triumph left his throat when he found his pack of I-sigs tossed haphazardly on his desk and offered one to Nigel. "I-sig?"

"I don't smoke. You know that," he declined with a drawl.

Chad scoffed and stuck one between his lips. "Like they're any harm to anyone." It wasn't like Earth's stuff which really did a number to your body if you chained them everyday. I-sigs kept you on your best physical form when you had no means of compensating for it through field work, which was the case for someone like Chad. Being a councilor and not an operative royally sucked, and he wasn't going to end up like a tub of lard like Councilor Betelguise down on deck five.

That was why Betelguise talked a good game, but Hyperion was always the one to cash in the chips when it came to the ladies... err, well _female_ aliens.

He inhaled the glowing blue lines crossing up the black stick and then exhaled sparkling white smoke in Nigel's direction. "I suppose you're going to add_ inappropriate conduct_ to whatever it is you came here for," Chad drawled right on back. "and for the record, it's not promotional bribing if _she_ came on to _me_."

"That's not what I'm here for." Though Nigel still disapproved. Out of everyone on base, Chad had to go and mess with someone from _his_ team. "I've got an off-base mission for you. Counterintelligence related. Infinity tried to contact you but..." He caught the source of the problem on Chad's desk. The communicator was turned off completely. "...you were in a very _important_ debriefing."

"_Almost_ a debriefing," Chad clarified and took another drag. "You just have a horrible way of screwing up my plans. _As usual._" He wasn't too thrilled that he was getting another off-base mission from _Infinity_. Usually off-base missions from him was cleaning up Uno's messes. "So, Infinity is really giving me a proper mission this time? Must be my birthday."

Except Uno was acting really strangely about the whole thing, not to mention the way he was staring at him.

"Listen," snapped Chad. "I know I'm good looking and all, but you're really creeping me out. Just put the file on my desk and go save an indigenous planet or something."

"You're going back to Earth."

Chad almost dropped his I-sig in alarm. "Repeat that." Infinity wasn't really deporting him back to Earth, was he? Because the derelict ship dossier had been sabotaged on purpose by the Armali Teens and there was nothing he could have done about that.

Or maybe Tethys really kept her word and threatened to kick him off base for messing around with her sister. Really, the professionalism of some people. An intergalactic war was waging outside their neutral zone and all Tethys cared about was her_ personal_ issues. He should have had her transferred when he had the chance.

Nigel began to pace the length of his minibar, which only served to piss Chad off further. He _hated_ it when Uno paced around. It usually meant he was either trying to explain something he couldn't comprehend, or he was trying to muster up the courage to _lie_. "It's counterintelligence, as I said before, something you're better at than me. There's a third party faction that's been gaining ground back on Earth the last few years and it's finally caught our attention."

"There are a lot of third party factions back on Earth," Chad mumbled dispassionately around his I-sig. Looks like he'll need another one if Uno keeps releasing bombs like this. "They end up fizzling out and replaced with the next one. What makes this one so special?"

"They managed to capture one of our satellites." _Now that was impressive_, Chad had to admit to himself. "One probe of our own can launch their technology up at least by ten years. That makes them capable of uprooting both the adults _AND_ the Kids Next Door there."

Ah, so that's the song and dance Infinity is trying to pull. "Let me guess, the leader's a girl and all she needs is a little distraction in the wrong direction." A slow smirk reappeared back on his face. "_Of course she is._ Not gonna lie, I'm kind of getting tired Kirking it around the galaxy. Human girls? I _miss_ human girls." Sure the universe had many exotic aliens at its disposal, but the call of his own species was like a siren to his ears these days.

And when there's only three _male_ humans in the GKND the last six years, you can bet he was missing the fairer sex.

But then that raised a very important question. "So what is keeping _you_ from taking the quickest shuttle to Earth then?" asked Chad suspiciously. "I figured you'd be accepting this mission yourself for the chance to go back." Uno had every reason to return whereas he himself burnt a lot of bridges getting to where he was now. Who would want to see Chad Dickson resurface aside from his _parents_?

Nigel seemed more interested in having a staring contest with an alien artifact on Chad's shelf. "I... well, I already accepted the first of a caseload of missions out on the front lines. I couldn't accept it."

The kid was doing the eye-twitch thing. "Lies," he accused. "What's wrong, Uno? Afraid to see what happened to your old sector? I bet that's the reason. You know, not all of them would have made it as a teen infiltrator. You'd be lucky if _one_ even managed. Or maybe you're worried about your little ex? Maybe she's got a dozen boyfriends on the side."

That caused Nigel to snap. "You know what, I can't wait for this mission to bite you right on the ass!" He was _cursing_. Now that piqued Chad's interest. Nigel tossed the data drive at him, which he caught with his free hand. "It's _Theia_."

Chad's expression darkened. "What about her?" No one had spoken that name in over six years. _Theia_. That code name was meant for one person, the _only_ person who turned down a GKND candidacy and then just went AWOL for no reason. He thought he heard the last from her that day.

"It's out of my hands," And Nigel proved it by raising his palms up in surrender and backing away. "I'm in the thick of intergalactic war. The last thing I need is to go down there and find out my team is either decommissioned or on the side of adults. Finding that even _Theia_ can turn against us? I can't handle that Chad. Not now. You wanted to get back on missions. This is your chance."

The door slid shut from Uno's departure, but Chad was more interested in the data drive and brushed a thumb against the button. A bright gold hologram of the dossier appeared and revealed key information about the third faction, self-titled _Purnima, _and theoretical points about their mysterious leader.

"Purnima," Chad murmured.

* * *

_"It's Hindi for full moon," her smile was minute, but he could see it as clear as day. "That's what they're chanting about. They're chanting for the Moonbase."_

_Hopefully building and celebrating India's twentieth treehouse, this time one placed close to the more downtrodden villages, would help the new operatives gather hope for the children there. The new sector, comprising of the finest Indian recruits just recently hot off the Academy, was rallying a group of kids by launching a giant ice cream party for them._

_Of course, the launching couldn't be complete without the Supreme Leader there to be in the thick of the celebration. His second-in-command turned away from him after explaining to speak to the new sector leader. All he could hear was a long trail of incoherent words leaving her lips as she spoke Hindi to them. It made him instantly regret ever taking his language translator for granted._

_ It was a fine time for his language translator to fizzle out at the last moment. When they chanted the word purnima and pointed at him, he honestly thought it was an insult. Maybe if he was nice, he could ask his XO for her translator... or maybe not. They seemed to like her more anyhow by the way they surrounded the young operative eagerly._

_"Looks like I'll have to rely on you translating for the rest of the night, Numbuh 362," he sighed and tossed his defunct translator over his shoulder. "Hope you don't mind."_

_Was that another smile when she turned around? This time he couldn't tell under the cover of night. "Of course, sir."_

* * *

How long ago was that? Nine, almost _ten_ years?

Chad flopped back onto the couch and ordered the lights dimmed to ten percent. Hopefully it'll help counteract the headache was beginning to form... and the many old and painful memories that came with hearing the name Theia again.

"What the hell happened to you, Rachel?" he asked aloud and rubbed the side of his temple. Why did she surface right onto Infinity's radar again?

Why did she run in the first place when she could have had everything?

Flicking the lines on the I-sig back to life, he gazed at it for a long moment, then decided to tap it out and reach for his datapad.

Over-thinking things was Uno's job. If he really wanted answers, he was the type to go down and take it for himself.


	2. 02 Drops of Jupiter

**Drops of Jupiter**

Some people spared a glance at a boy no older than thirteen running for his life down the countryside. He was wearing a strange getup of straps and cardboard and, believing it to be some kind of game in session or a cosplay, they ignored him and continued on their day-to-day activities.

But it wasn't a game. Not for him. Slipping into a muddy foxhole, he pressed his back against the wet dirt and tried to regain his breath as planes soared over his head and disappeared into the woods further down. With a soft cry of relief, he sank down and shuddered underneath the rain. What should he do now? Everyone he knew and cared about were KND agents.

They probably hated him now.

Once the coast was clear, he crawled pathetically out of the hole and sighed. He was a traitor, a no good evil teenager. But he didn't _want_ to be evil.

He just wanted to keep his memories.

But no matter how much he begged that he wouldn't tell a soul or betray the KND, protocol had to be followed. In his fear, he had run before they could apprehend and decommission him.

A large shadow suddenly obstructed the rain hitting him and he looked up, finding a young woman holding up a red umbrella over both of them.

Her gentle smile instantly hooked him. She was blond and very pretty, but what was more appealing were her warm brown eyes that slowed his rapidly beating heart. They spoke of compassion. _Safety._

His heart plummeted when she spoke. "Numbuh 88?" That voice. He _remembered_ that voice, who _belonged_ to that voice.

She had been the best KND spy. Like he was.

Instinctively he pulled out his weapon and pointed it at her, but he should have known better. A flash of red danced across his vision and before he could pull the trigger, the gun smacked out of his hands and bounced harmlessly onto the grass. Cradling his hand, he watched the young woman popped the umbrella back up and covered herself from the rain again.

"Well that wasn't very nice," she said dryly. "Is that how you greet your former instructor?"

He didn't know what to say to that. "I..."

"Would you like to stay here and wait for the decommissioning squad or do want to align yourself with the Teen Ninjas?" she nodded her head to the side. "There's a gas station over there if you're interested."

In defeat, he dropped his head back down again. "I just want my identity. Nothing else."

"Then come with me." She turned back around and continued down the path. Whether or not he was going to take the offer was not her problem. Everyone had a choice.

With one last look at the sky where the planes disappeared to, Numbuh 88 abandoned his weapon and practically stumbled after his former mentor. The young woman minutely smiled under the umbrella when she heard squishing sounds trailing behind her.

One more operative to the cause.

* * *

Chad's first night back on Earth was almost like a dream. Nostalgia crept along the familiar roads and buildings both old and new. There was a detached sense of belonging exploring the city on his own. It helped him think, plan grand things that no one that passed by him would ever comprehend. And that was where that detachment came from.

This was his home and yet it was _not_.

It was hard adjusting to the constant spin of the Earth. The day and night cycles back on base were artificial and even then time didn't have much meaning when you traveled through many star systems. One could travel forward in time in one system or backwards in another. Time practically stopped for travelers like him. Like Uno and Infinity and all the others who walked the very stars people down here gazed up at.

This insomnia continued on past the third or fourth night. Sometimes he stayed in motels or temporary residence with a fellow teen operative under the guise that he emerged from some deep undercover mission in China or Australia or whichever country came to mind. It didn't matter his story because he didn't stay long for anyone to suspect anything.

Where he rested was inconsequential and convenient so he simply ended up sleeping in his car while he continued the search for his target. It was the only physical possession he had left that remained when he returned.

_The platform collapsed right under them and, one by one, they rolled and tumbled off it and into the abyss below._

_Breathing heavily through his helmet, he shoved a broken beam off the top of his exoarmor and surveyed the damage. There was debris all over the place and the other two were nowhere to be found._

_That was when he saw an armored hand sticking out of a pile of rubble. Immediately he scrambled over and started pushing the metal plating off his comrade until he found Uno's body underneath, unresponsive. He ran a holographic signal for life signs and, finding none, dropped his head down in defeat. Not Uno... he was supposed to be the stronger one. He let this happen._

_Through his cracked interface, he noticed a fading signal not too far away and, realizing that it could be Rachel, he swallowed the heaviness in his throat and hoped she wasn't lost as well._

_He found her under a few broken support beams and it was an effort to pull and push aside so he can reach her. There was no sound, not when his interface was glitchy enough as it was, but she twitched upon further examination and, his heart pounding in relief, he helped her sit up and said something to her._

_What words they were he didn't know, but she stirred and stiffened and he had to physically tilt the side of her helmet away from the lifeless body of Numbuh 1 not too far off. They had to mourn later._

_It was wrong to leave Uno's body behind. He was his best operative and a sense of guilt and regret hit him hard even long after he propped 362 up against him and helped her limp their way into the next corridor._

_That was when the shots came. He could hear her heavy breathing through his helmet, which was logically impossible, but not of importance to him at the moment. White hot plasma shots hit the area around them and by some stretch of a miracle that they managed to survive this long without getting hit._

_Until Rachel suddenly shifted under his grip and twisted in pain when she took the plasma burst meant for him. With a howl of alarm, Chad wasted no time in closing the hatch to the second corridor when she slumped back into his arms._

_No, no, no... she was going to be alright. He wasn't going to lose her like he lost Uno. His glove brushed against the exoamp on her back which was smoldering and burning into her armor. It's fine. It was just the amp. He turned her back over to get her to stir. It's just the..._

_Cold, unseeing brown eyes stared up at him through the cracked helmet and the wild beeping in his helmet signaled that her life frequency had ceased._

_That was when he started to hyperventilate through his suit, unable to process that he's lost everyone. He was alone on this station, in this incomparable storm waging outside._

_His knees collapsed when he tried to carry her lifeless body with him. He couldn't leave another operative behind. Not like this. Please..._

_A hand grasped his shoulder. Cold. Alien. Fear and panic hit him and he started to shout in terror._

Chad nearly fell off his seat when the waitress tentatively touched his shoulder to wake him for his meal. She set his plate down and worriedly bit her lip when the customer started panting and breaking out into a sweat. "Are you okay? Do you need me to call a bus?"

He immediately shook his head, but it was not enough to appease her when he was still panting and shaking like a leaf. "Sure? It's no trouble at all."

"I'm fine," he snapped, though his tone softened once the cafe's gentle easy listening music wafted in and centered himself. "Just a nightmare." A reoccurring one probably brought on by insomnia.

She accepted this explanation, probably a typical occurrence during graveyard shift, and left him his burger before leaving to refill his drink and allow him to compose himself. He was grateful for the silence and turned to the dark window to watch what little cars drove by. Sometime during his dozing it started to rain.

The insomnia had its perks keeping him up past midnight. His mark walked by this cafe every weeknight due to her graveyard shift.

_Infiltrate, acquire, destroy._ That was the bread and butter of his life in the GKND. But messing with Cree and the older teens was easy, impersonal. They had been untouchable god-like beings looking up to them back in the day. There was a kind of twisted pleasure in taking down a 'god' and bringing them back to their level.

But Rachel hadn't been an untouchable god. She once served three of the five years of his time leading the Kids Next Door as his most loyal officer. And then, like that very loyal officer she was, she cleaned up the mess of his desertion and took the mantle of Supreme Leader during the chaos and made it better; _brighter_.

Chad idly spun his disguised communicator around and somewhat admired technology still evolving on Earth. It was called an _ePhone_ or something. The screen lit up when he slid a finger across the screen to unlock it. A frown on a very pretty face greeted him, a face much too angular and mature for his memories of her.

_Age seventeen._ It was lifted from a social media site where their techies managed to hack into her private page and upload pictures and posts from her. It wasn't very useful for intel, but Chad expected that. Rachel used to be in espionage. She wasn't stupid enough to talk about Purnima or whatever faction she got herself into on a social network site where everyone and their _grandmother_ could read.

But it was a glimpse into a normal life, or lack thereof. He found he spent most of his nights rereading posts she made or looking at the pictures attached. She talked about school, how hard a part-time job was, or the long string of hearts she left behind because they couldn't measure up to her impossible standards. Those were blatant excuses, of course. If he knew her as well as he did, she simply wasn't a very romantic person. Her shortcomings in that department would have caused most of those relationships to end.

You don't get things like a possible meaningful relationship on base. It was just the next mission, dossier, or file handling. Personal lives were fleeting and few because of the war. No one had time to breathe and take a second glance at the pretty alien sitting at the bar going through her paperwork.

So her social life written out for the rest of the internet to see was something he greedily took in as he imagined how his former operatives were doing outside of KND work. From her, there were others. Some turned out exactly how he imagined it and others got him to drop his jaw in shock a few times.

Time really did a number to people.

And her_ pictures_. There were very few, that he could believe. She was always a very private person both on and off duty. Most of the pictures she was in were simply tagged in from other profiles, group photos, family photos, or a surprise shot in the background.

His favorite photo was his current wallpaper. Dressed in a very appealing business casual and high ponytail, she awkwardly raised the peace sign for the camera. The comment for the photo had made him laugh.

_'Gone job hunting to prove my parents the economy sucks. Actually got a job in the first place I applied. Fail.'_ That not-so-amused pout really set it to instant fave. It was so like Numbuh 362.

"Oh, she's cute." The waitress had returned and grinned at his phone. "Is that why you're all alone at two in the morning? Had a fight?"

Chad turned the phone over. "I'm looking for her, actually."

"Ahhhh…" her grin grew. "The one that got away, huh?"

"You can say that," he replied and lit up an I-sig. "You don't mind if I light up in here, do you?"

The waitress wasn't curious about it, which was fine enough for him when she gave him the go ahead and walked back into the kitchen. Earth's technology had changed so much in over half a decade he wasn't surprised if they really did have 'healthy' cigarettes.

His meal turned cold, but he dissuaded her from taking it back to the chef. There wasn't a problem with it but that dream had really cost him his appetite. He regretted it dearly.

What was considered food in space, (Vesta called it a Kazkyark delicacy, he called it _What Lurked Under Area 51_), none of that would fly in a real American restaurant. Burgers, fries, and a soda was something he was going to splurge on as much as he could before he was forced to transport back to base again.

And he learned a new trend the first day back: _hipsters_. Apparently the nerds must have had some kind of uprising while he was gone and became the new overlords of teen chic because now everyone was wearing thick rimmed glasses and boasting about how watching cartoons was the in thing.

_Lame-o's._

Not everything changed, however. The music seemed to have the same beat, just different lyrics, and fashion came and went as they pleased, though he was pleased that sagging went until karma bit him in the butt and introduced skinny jeans.

He had to admit though, skinny jeans and plaid shirts were probably much more comfortable than spandex and exoarmor.

Just when he was going to give up his surveillance for the night, long blond hair streaked across his window so fast, he thought he had imagined it. Chad scrambled out of his seat and leaned against the window to see a young woman trying to beat the gentle rain for the bus stop further down.

He cursed, tossed a twenty on the table and bolted out of the cafe.

The waitress looked up while pouring coffee and snorted at the empty booth. "Rude," she slurred out to her regular. "He didn' even say goodbye."

Patton lowered his newspaper and frowned as the coffee cup was being overfilled. "Fulbright, you're drowning the porcelain."

"Shut up. Ye like it like that," she purred and even topped it off. It spilled all over his_ monte cristo_. "Too bad he didn't eat. I had a real nice ingredient for that triple agent."

He sighed and set his coffee aside before it drowned anymore of his meal. "How many times do we have to tell you? Spiking food gets us nowhere if they're _dead_."

Fanny wrinkled her nose and snorted. "I wasn' gonna kill him. Just… knock him out. Maybe do a little ol' fashioned interrogating."

"Just stick to the plan." Patton's eyes noticeably darkened when they watched Chad pass by the window after his mark. Fanny giggled lowly in her throat like some kind of Bond villain.

Patton shot a look at her. "Okay, that's creepy. Stop it." Now he'll have to check his _own_ food from now on.

* * *

She was crossing the street when he caught up to her and ignored the digital red hand encouraging people to wait while the streetlights changed colors.

Chad colorfully swore when he found himself trapped in the crosswalk as cars moved in and out to honk at him and, when he hopped onto the hood on one car that blindsided him to prevent becoming roadkill, someone helpfully pulled him back onto the other side of the sidewalk.

"I see your reflexes are still there," his 'savior' noted in a dry tone. He looked up and was caught in those nostalgic brown eyes. "but your execution was always bullheaded. I've warned you this _years_ ago, sir."

Rachel hovered over him in her bright red umbrella that brought color to this drab wet night. It fleetingly reminded him of Uno and the red stripes of his exoarmor.

_Sir._ He had to suppress a shiver running up his spine at the word. This wasn't exactly the ideal meeting he had in mind. Approaching coolly in the rain all mysterious and charming so she would easily swoon under his power easily was a better way to manipulate her early.

Oh well. He's worked with _worse_ luck. She blinked when he raised a hand to her. "Help your former commander up?" he smiled up at her which earned him a suspicious eyebrow before she grabbed his hand and let him under her umbrella. He couldn't help but ask. "Miss me?"

There was an awkward silence.

"I guess not," Chad snorted.

She looked him up and down as if trying to comprehend that he was here instead of some kind of figment of her imagination. From the darkened roots of his hair brought on by age and down his strong body all the way to his sneakers, he felt like she was sizing him up before she nearly knocked him back down when she grabbed his middle and squeezed.

He took advantage of the embrace to pat down her sides for a weapon, disguising the action as an earnest hug. And when he felt her fingers brush just against his lower back, a sense of pride hit him. _She was doing the same thing._

It was good to know that her common sense didn't fly away somewhere and replaced with hormones like many girls her age ended up doing. Walking around the city at 2 AM for her was starting to sound less worrying with this bit of information.

"You're wet," he heard her mumble into his soaked jacket. When they pulled away, some of her hair stuck to her cheek.

He brushed it away and that made those brown eyes soften. "Look how pretty you got," he laid down the charm. "I've missed you, McKenzie."

Perhaps it wasn't entirely a lie. Duty tore him apart from those he considered allies... maybe even friends. While they may have forgotten or hated him mattered little. Seeing her there in her red umbrella and looking at him like he was a forgotten figment in her past negated the reality that she was a young woman now and no longer Numbuh 362.

Those eyes told a different story. And that familiar snort. "I see you haven't changed a bit." She suddenly looked concerned. "You've been gone for over five years. Did you come back to see your mother?"

He frowned. "What's wrong with my mother?" Contacting his parents had been far from his mind. The day he left for the GKND was the day he escaped their coddling and their overzealous desire for him to be at the top of everything. Going back would probably be a death sentence... or a permanent grounding. Though the extent of their power was questionable. He'd like to see them enforce their rules on a _nineteen year old_ kid.

She looked away and seemed to examine something two streets down before responding. Spotters maybe? He wouldn't put it past her. "Are you staying somewhere tonight? We can talk there."

"Eager, are we?" He couldn't help it. It was his natural counterintelligence charm. She didn't seem amused by his joke so he shrugged it off. "I'm in and out of places since I got back. Unless you want to talk in my car..."

She was really good at expressing emotion through her eyes alone because the flash of irritation was obvious. "My place then. You don't mind taking me home?"

* * *

_**Seven Years Ago**_

_With a growl, Chad slammed the hood of his ship down so hard it echoed loudly in the launch bay. Just what he needed. It was like the universe was trying to stop him from meeting Infinity._

_This would be the last time he would leave Moonbase on his own. Sliding down the side of his ship, Numbuh 274 tossed the oiled rag away and tried to count to ten. At this very moment the plan was coming to fruition. The Decommissioning Squad was going to receive the false information to detain Sector V and attempt to decommission them while he made it look like he was covering his tracks. Adding T and Q wasn't in the plan, but his parents already sent out invitations to them and really, it just made the conspiracy believable._

_It really dawned on him that he was turning thirteen. And he was going to gamble the Moonbase to prove to the big guys upstairs that he was capable of doing anything for the KND. Anything. The idea still made his skin crawl, but that was about it. If he could go back in time he'd just do it all over again._

_No, he didn't regret risking his reputation. What he did regret was the chaos that would follow after his desertion._

_Sacrifice was just collateral to the grander scheme of things. But while Infinity danced around the issue praying that the dominoes would fall into place, Numbuh 274 believed in his kids. Uno was a clever kid. He'll see things through. He was special._

_"Sir?"_

_He found Numbuh 362 curiously watching him. There was a clipboard under her arm and really, he shook his head at that. Was she really going to spend another full night on base doing paperwork?_

_Of course she was. That was why she was going to make a fine Supreme Leader when he was gone. "You staying another night?" he wondered aloud. "Or are you just stranded here like I am?"_

_Rachel frowned at the bit of oil still on his hands and the state of his ship. "Is something wrong with your ship?" Before he could dissuade her she was already popping up the hood and sticking her hands into the machinery before her brow pulled down in defeat and closed the hood._

_He tried not to grin. "You don't know a thing about mechanics."_

"_Not a clue," she admitted before she sat down next to him and looked up at the skyline above. Just like that, they just sat there and gazed at the stars. It was this moment where it hit him hard. This would be the last time they would just hang around each other in comfortable silence. The next time they meet, they'll have weapons drawn at each other._

_Maybe that was one more regret to add. "I'm gonna miss you."_

_Rachel blinked. "I'm not going anywhere."_

_Those words bothered him more that she would ever know. "I know. That's why I believe in you."_

_"Are you alright?" she asked sharply. "You're not dying are you?" And she really did look like she was going to physically drag him to the medical deck. Her eyes softened when he sighed and looked at nothing in particular. "Listen, if you can wait an hour, I'll just fly you home in my own ship. Would that be alright?"_

_Chad shrugged. "You don't mind taking me home?"_

_"Not at all. Can't leave the Supreme Leader stranded on base."_

* * *

"Not at all." When he led her on the pathway to his car, he added reproachfully, "Can't leave a KND traitor stranded at a bus stop." _  
_

She visibly flinched and shot a glare at him. "You'd be the poster kid on that wouldn't you?" she said coldly. "I had to learn it from _somewhere_."

Needless to say, she didn't offer the umbrella again.


	3. 03 Counting Stars

**Counting Stars**

_**48 Hours Ago**_

She didn't necessarily believed the intel going around, but the fleeting picture of Chad, nearly dodging an operative's camera phone with a dark baseball cap, was undoubtedly _him_.

It was that curl of blond hair sticking out. That was a unique feature of his that she had yet to see from anyone else their age. Her two most loyal operatives turned to her for a response and yet she had nothing concrete to say.

Chad Dickson was supposed to have disappeared forever with Nigel Uno.

Her gaze continued on the flickering picture, taking in his strong physique and confident form. A sigh left her lips that probably was mistaken for a loving one. In fact, it was a sense of admiration, a relic of how people used to hold themselves up honestly without the guise of coolness or style.

Fanny whistled to her left. "Numbuh 274's a _big boy_ now, isn't he?"

"Those are your words, not mine," she replied back with a tiny grin.

Patton was scoffing to her right, probably feeling the few cons of having two female companions to answer to. "They probably sent him for the satellite we took down. He's probably worth a good bargaining chip if we get the drop on him."

The idea seemed almost repugnant giving the history they had with Chad. Rachel faintly frowned. "Too inappropriate. He was our superior once upon a time."

"Poison him then?" Fanny grinned. "Nothing says '_we missed you_' like good ol' spiked cola."

"_Enough_ with the poisoning," Patton snapped back. "I've got a mountain of complaints from the new recruits that have _everything_ to do with you."

Rachel sighed. "I was thinking something a little more intuitive. We're not terrorists, Fanny, we're freedom fighters."

_"__The difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter is a matter of perspective: it all depends on the observer and the verdict of history," _Patton quoted.

Fanny frowned incredulously at him. "Ye actually have the time out of yer jarhead trainin' ter quote _books_?"

"You'd know if you actually picked one up."

There was a beat of silence.

"Do you require ice, Fanny," Rachel raised an eyebrow. "for that _burn_?"

Patton ordered the lights back on in the only bare meeting room on base. There was a row of chairs over a long table where Rachel perched herself at the end of and looked at the overhead image of 274 still flickering on the opposite wall. She sat back in her seat and folded her hands over her stomach thoughtfully.

"I'll handle him." the words came out of her mouth faster than what her brain could process.

Both of her companions had a mixture of expressions from downright amused to mortified. Guess which one.

Handling someone meant_ infiltrating_. Handling someone of the _opposite gender_ meant pulling a _Number 9_, a euphemism named after an old friend who dated an enemy for information.

"And, pray tell, how are ye going to_ handle_ 274?" Fanny slunk towards the table and sat on the end. "I have a mighty feelin' he's not takin' an interest in ye just for nostalgia's sake."

"Gee, thanks 86," Rachel said sourly. "I suppose the only guys interested me are the ones looking to decommissioning and/or take me down, is that it?"

Fanny traded blatant looks with Patton before they both said, "Yes."

"Twenty-five decommissioning attempts, almost half of them from suspected undercover teens," Patton started to count it all on his fingers. "And you've had a dozen attempts being recruited from the Teen Ninjas."

Rachel scratched the side of her head. "I don't remember it being_ that_ much."

"That _ye_ know of." With a dramatic sigh, Fanny fell back onto the table and looked up at the light fixtures. "If our not-so-traitorous ex-Supreme Leadah is looking ter get intel from us, the least we can do is gain intel right back."

"That's the idea I had," Rachel admitted. "We've got history though. A good history… at least before he left the KND." Relationships were never her forte. Coordinating a carpet bombing of melted cheese over a broccoli farm was an easier venture than this.

But the thing she had with him back then, it seemed so natural at the time. Like a well-oiled machine. A spark of interest had hit her at the sight of him again and, truth be told, she wanted to see where she could go with this. Maybe she could take back what seemed to be a missed opportunity for a re-connection.

_Or the next step in cementing her group as a viable threat._ Either way, she had the advantage.

Fanny's grin said it all. "Right… well maybe you can use that to your advantage. Guys _love_ naive girls."

"I'm not naive!"

Patton cocked an eyebrow. "She's kinda got a point. You don't exactly have… well…"

"_Sex appeal_." Both Rachel and Patton flinched at Fanny's response. "Oh please, we're all walkin' talkin' hormonal teens here. We've all had _the talk_. Unless yer were both sick on purpose for that lesson in health class." She sat up abruptly when the two of them remained suspiciously silent. "Dunna tell me ye did!"

"They were going to show us the miracle of childbirth. To the _guys_," Patton protested weakly. "I've heard enough stories to know when to cash my chips and get the heck out of dodge."

Rachel winced in sympathy. "Does it count if I already had the talk from my parents?" It was a horrible affair rife with awkward silences and _diagrams_. She didn't need to go through it again.

With another dramatic sigh, Fanny slid off the table. "You know what? Leave Chad to me instead. I did have a little crush on him back when I was a medic," her smile was anything but innocent. "I'll get him spilling all sorts of secrets by the end of the _week_."

* * *

**_Ten Years Ago_**

_They had been waiting alongside the other sectors on the docking station on the Gihugeacarrier when Numbuh 86 eagerly pulled on the fabric of Rachel's purple sweater._

_"There he is! That's the boy!" she squealed into 362's ear. Her medic's hat was askew, so whoever was the next unfortunate boy that Fanny 'fell in love' with must be a doozy if she was too preoccupied to fix it._

_"Fanny, don't point!" Rachel pulled down Fanny's arm when she blatantly pointed over the crowd. People were starting to curiously wonder what was going on. "I see him, alright, I see him!"_

_He looked like a _boy scout_. With the bandanna tied around his neck and the gold pegs on his shoulders denoting a Global Command rank, he was still as a statue and standing at attention by Numbuh 100's side. She recognized him easily from the KND Nightly News bulletin last week. _

_"That's Numbuh 274," Rachel said under her breath. "He's the _youngest_ Global Tactical Officer in the history of the KND."_

_"I know," Fanny said dreamily. "Isn't he gorgeous?"_

_More like _intimidating_. "I suppose." Rachel wasn't exactly in the know about who was cute and who was not. So long as they knew how to man a _S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R.,_ they were of worth to her equally._

_While Numbuh 100 spoke of Numbuh 9's plan to ambush a Teen Ninja sting regarding the chicken pox epidemic, 274's gaze focused on their sector when 100 explained their mission specs. _

_86 squeaked and hid behind Rachel. Standing up straight and proud, Numbuh 362 locked eyes with 274 and nodded respectfully._

_Much to her confusion, he smirked at her before nodding back and refocusing on Numbuh 100._

_"Eeeeee! He smiled at me!" Fanny popped her head out from over Rachel's shoulder and bounced on her heels._

_"Yes. Yes he did." It didn't hurt anyone to tell her that. Maybe he _did_ bypass her to smile at Fanny. _

_At any rate, an infatuated Fanny was an eager Numbuh 86. That made missions with her much more easier to deal with._

_Numbuh 100's words raised up in volume. "Now, Numbuh 274 will be expediting this mission. Listen to your new Global Tactical Officer and I can assure you we will nip this chicken pox epidemic in the bag or you can slap a saddle pack on me and call me _Sally!_ Kids Next Door RULES!"_

_"_KIDS NEXT DOOR RULES_!" The twenty kid operatives yelled back proudly as their Supreme Leader dismissed himself with his guards. _

_One by one Numbuh 274 sent off each sector. Rachel and the others waited as patiently as a bunch of seven year olds were capable of before he marched over to them._

_Fanny giggled and hid herself again behind Rachel._

_"Right… you remember your mission right?" He addressed them all sternly and definitely expected a few murmurs of confusion. To be honest, it _was_ a very long-winded dossier they were given. _

_While her squad leader mumbled nonsense to appease him, Numbuh 274 took a moment to close his eyes and exhale before turning to Rachel. "Numbuh 362?"_

_He _remembered_ her codename. "Yes sir?" she inquired loudly._

_"Do _you_ remember the mission dossier at least?" All eyes on her, Rachel took a nervous inhale as a result._

_"Sector W is in charge of providing cover fire should Sector V fail in apprehending the Teen Ninjas," she clasped her hands behind her back and sounded off loudly. "I will be providing communications support while Numbuh 86 provides the temporary chicken pox vaccine should the mission go wrong. The rest of Sector W will fall in with Sectors H and F at the Global Tactical Officer's appointed time."_

_That smirk of his returned. "Well, at least _someone_ was paying attention. Are you familiar with rear guard support for Global Tactical Officers?"_

_What a strange question. "Yes?"_

_"Good, I'm putting Numbuh 367 in charge of communications support. You're coming with me." Nodding at the gaping expression on her face, he turned away and addressed the next set of operatives._

_Once he was out of earshot, Fanny pouted at her. "Why did he single you out? That's not fair!"_

_"I'm sorry," And really, she didn't know either. "Think of it this way: rear guard support isn't very glamorous for a mission. You guys get all the action." It was basically bodyguard duty for the powers that be. Did he simply find her incompetent or something?_

_She jumped in alarm when Fanny grabbed her hands. "Do something for me while you're with him, okay?" She was_ pouting_. Rachel hated that pathetic pout. "Ask if he's got a girlfriend! Maybe put in a good word for me, yeh? We're friends aren't we?!"_

_"T__…_ that's not a very professional bit of conversation to pull during a mission, Numbuh 86," Rachel protested weakly. Things like boys and crushes and all that relationship stuff was way over her head. She wouldn't know where_ to start. "we're supposed to focus on this ambush…"_

_"Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaaaaaaaasssseeee?!" Now she was on her knees and threatening to be dragged._

_"OKAY OKAY!"_

_She wished she hadn't agreed._

* * *

_Ear pressed against the wall connected to Numbuh 9's room, all seemed to be well and quiet. Numbuh 274 was leaning next to her in the same perched stance, his expression serious and staring at nothing in particular as they both listened in on any further sounds coming from the adjacent room._

_He was _really_ devoted to the job. She admired that. "Um…" What was she going to say that didn't make it sound inappropriate? Her hesitance seemed to catch his undivided attention because confused blue eyes instantly caught her's._

_"What's up, Numbuh 362? Bathroom break?" Expecting a very stern and unapproachable second-in-command like when he expedited, Rachel had been pleasantly surprised to find 274 very accommodating the last two hours and… well, _nice_._

_Out of all the boys Fanny had a crush on, her tastes must be starting to have better quality these days. "No. I was just wondering…" she was never good at small talk. "…do you have a_ girlfriend_?"_

_His eyebrows shot up so high it disappeared into that perfectly styled hair. Rachel instantly flushed and tried to backtrack. "I-I-I mean… not… well, that's really highly personal and not very… it's not appropriate, b-but…"_

_"Ah…" he nervously smiled. "No… no girlfriend. It's work, you see. Lot of…"_

_"Yeah, yeah, I figured. _Obviously_. We're just kids and…" She really _really_ wished the floral carpet beneath her could just turn into quicksand and swallow her up. "It's just…"_

_"Well…" Much to her confusion, he looked her up and down. "You're kind of young. I mean, I suppose you're cute and very good at your job. That's a plus. I just didn't expect someone your age to…"_

What._ Her eyes widened. "N-no… you mean me…? Oh nonononononononono!" Waiting for that carpet to sink her through the floor right about now, please. "My friend," she tried to explain weakly. "she has a bit of a crush on you."_

_His eyes widened in understanding. "Ah… I see. You're playing wingman to that red head I bet. Numbuh 86?" When she nodded, his thoughtful interest in the subject seemed to dwindle until it was that cool professionalism again. "I'm not really interested in dating. If you can discourage her nicely, I'd really appreciate it."_

_"Yes sir." And just like that, he was closed off from her again. They paid extra attention to the wall after an awkward moment of silence._

_It felt like an hour that she stared at a tacky cherub lamp when Numbuh 274 spoke up with that warm tone of curiosity again. "They say girls mature faster than boys. Must be hard for someone like 86 then."_

_"I…" she didn't know what to say to that. Was he trying to apologize for the curt response earlier? She decided on a more personal route. "Does it make me less mature if I'm not like that? I mean, I can see the appeal. I suppose." _

_Boys had always been just a gender that she worked with. To hold them in a high regard like Fanny and the other girls were trying to? She wasn't sure what to make of that yet. She had a harder time acquiring _friends_, let alone a significant other._

_"You're very mature from what I've seen," he grinned at her. "So you're not boy crazy like the other girls. Big deal. Makes things less awkward. I don't have to worry about whether you'll follow my orders or kiss me instead." She flushed at the idea and it only sought to deepen that grin._

_There was a strange thump from Numbuh 9's room. Out of instinct for the mission and the protection of their Global Tactical Officer, Rachel unhooked her mustard gun from her belt and made sure the hallway was empty and ready to go before letting Numbuh 274 sound the alert._

_Apparently after the debriefing, Numbuh 367 not only botched the communications but blamed 86 for his ineptitude which earned her a demotion and a transfer to the Decommissioning Squad the next week._

_"Numbuh 274 said what? I DUNNA CARE ANYMORE!" Fanny snarled which made Rachel take a step back. "Boys are nothing but stupid incompetent morons who couldn't operate a communications console if it bit them right on the-!"_

* * *

**_Present day_**

Suffice to say, Fanny hadn't been exactly interested in boys much since that day.

Now? It was like Fanny somehow woke up this morning and decided to become a _weapon of mass seduction_. Probably because she discovered that boys were just as much a slave to their hormones as girls, if not _more_ so. She's definitely been using them to her advantage for anything she needed, much to Numbuh 60's extreme displeasure.

Rachel was almost worried that the scowl on Patton's face was going to become _permanent_.

"Over-fracking-ruled," Patton snarled and then glared at Rachel. "and if you give her the go-ahead to seduce 274, I'm going to personally jam every single weapon on base. _Including the Nobunaga Gun._"

"Ooooh, the _Nobunaga Gun_. He means business," Fanny crooned. "_jealous_, Numbuh 60?"

He snorted. "No. I just think he'd see right through you. The last time he saw you, you hated boys so much it was an_ art form_. He's going to suspect something if you go all native on him."

"So you _are_ jealous." That earned Rachel a well-placed growl in her direction. "I'll see to it that Fanny doesn't imploy _Love Potion Numbuh 9_, okay?"

Fanny gaped at her and then started to roll on her side and laugh. "Oh my god! That's a good one!" She slapped the table. "Why haven't I thought of that, dammit?!"

"I think this is the reason why they decommission us at thirteen," Patton noted dryly. "we can't deal with _one_ serious conversation before it devolves into nonsense."

"Must be the hormones," With a small grin, Rachel picked up her folded red umbrella and placed it over her shoulder. "your eye is twitching, Drilovsky. You_ like_ nonsense."

"I most certainly do not! _Ma'am_."

"You _do_," Fanny singsonged. "you're the _King of Nonsense_!"

Patton scoffed. "Ha. If I'm the King, you must be the _Queen_."

"Wrong. I'm the Galactic Overlord. _Bow before my greatness_ you lowly male."

Allowing them to burn whatever unresolved tension they usually had in their arsenal, Rachel wordlessly retreated out of the room and replaced the warm quirk of a smile on her face for a cold frown. The operatives waiting for her from both sides of the door turned in her presence and saluted her. "Ma'am!"

"You're here," she drawled softly. "so I suppose the mission has been successful?"

They traded looks with each other which was the wrong thing to do. The air suddenly got colder when their leader's eyes narrowed in warning. "_Was_ it successful?"

The female did not meet her gaze. Another wrong move. "The Kids Next Door have been taking_…_ precautions against us the past few weeks. We were unsuccessful in capturing their current XO, but we do have an Archive operative in custody."

"Very well," she proceeded to walk away, but then said over her shoulder coldly, "you're dismissed. _Permanently_."

The male operative frowned under his mask. "What do you_…_" Something cold pressed against the back of his neck along with former Numbuh 86's snort from behind. His companion had turned around completely and found herself staring up at the barrel of 60's own weapon.

Patton clicked off the safety. "Really, we expected better from the_ Teens Next Door_."

"And an Archive operative?" Fanny laughed and shoved the barrel further into the male's neck, forcing him to turn around. "You think we're stupid, don't you? Gettin' on in our old age, yeh? We know for a fact that operative's part of the _candy division_."

Rachel folded her arms behind her back and regarded them carefully. "A good ploy for the Teen Ninjas seeing as their databases aren't near as up-to-date on the KND registry. Except you are forgetting one thing: every week more operatives join _Purnima's_ ranks. From a lowly 2x4 tinkerer to a decorative operative from Global Command. When your information conflicts the intel from _ten other operatives_, we're bound to believe sabotage on your part."

"It's called _cross-referencing_," snorted Patton. "maybe you should look into that in the future, infiltrators."

"If you've _got_ a future," Fanny sneered. "we're still debating on it."

Cover blown, the female teen was the first to crack. "You're a threat to both the KND and the Teen Ninjas! What's your aim? Why are you doing this?!"

"Numbuh 986! Shut up!" the male hissed.

"986?" Fanny grinned and switched targets with Patton, aiming her weapon at the female instead. "I bet ye were part of the Decommissioning Squad, weren't ya?" The girl didn't respond, but it was answer enough to her. "It's been awhile since I've cranked open a decommissioning module, especially the new 1086x model. Tell me, do ye still add gum to conduct the cranial wires or did ye brats actually take my advice and use glue for once?"

_Perhaps a compromise could come of this_, Rachel thought, taking Fanny's jibe into actual consideration. "They say you no longer need to use the decommissioning chamber to ensnare operatives. Perhaps we'll treat your stay here with lenience if you trade us information. _Authentic_ information."

The male glowered at her. "You think you can bribe us out of our loyalty to the KND?!"

"Everything has a price," Rachel said calmly and the male teen took a step back towards the path of Patton's weapon. Her stare was cold enough to render him speechless. "even _loyalty_."

That was when 986 drew her own weapon and pointed it at her comrade's direction. His eyes widened. "Numbuh 986?! What the heck do you think you're doing?!"

986 was visibly shaking. "Sorry, but my baby sister wasn't picked for the TND. They have her locked up with the other twelve year old operatives on Moonbase, Jim. If I revealed the TND moles here, _Purnima_ promised to break her out."

"You see," Rachel continued softly. "we're something akin to information brokering. An organization like this thrives on secrecy for that very reason. We don't ask for much. Just a little step ahead from the KND, any bit of information would do. In return, we give operatives a third option, one that they deserve to have."

"Traitors, the whole lot of you!" Jim spat out. "That's what you really are! You can't convince me! Not in a hundred-bajillion years!"

Rachel shrugged as 986 knocked him out with the butt of her weapon in proof of her loyalty. "Bajillion isn't a word. Throw him off base."

986 surrendered her weapon to Patton and let out a shuddering sigh. "You_…_ you're letting him go? What if he goes back for a debriefing about the base's location?"

"He'll never find it again," Rachel said over her shoulder before retreating down the empty hall. She had a personal trip to Glasgow catching up with an old pupil. "_Purnima_ reveals itself to those who genuinely need it."

Much to 986's surprise, Fanny sheepishly poked her on the arm. "Aye, ye've got a waitress uniform I can use?"

"What?"

* * *

**_48 Hours Later_**

_Traitor. Deserter. Monster. _

Chad certainly knew how to woo a girl. Hardly amused by the whole thing, Rachel busied herself by messing with the presets on Chad's car stereo while he drove her through the deserted streets. His jaw was tight, which was Rachel's intention all along. You never mess with a man's stereo, but sufficiently enough, he deserved it for that mouth of his.

Finger pressed hard against the preset button on a pop station until it beeped the number to memory, Rachel started on preset number four when Chad finally spoke. "If I said I was sorry for opening my big mouth, would it save my fifth preset at least?"

"Depends on how sincere the apology is," she murmured coldly, but the fifth preset remained untouched. For _now_. "you know nothing about me except a memory. The world continues to spin and everyone's story continues to change."

The rain began to beat hard against the windshield so he clicked the wipers to move faster. "Then what's your story? What the hell happened?"

She said nothing for a good minute or so, too suspicious to trust someone who was obviously here to destabilize everything she was working for. Even if he _was_ someone who was special to her in the past. "I trade information, to start. If you want something from me, I expect something back in return."

It was his turn to fall silent, but she already knew the answer. They were much too loyal, too lonesome to share any kind of personal secrets. That was why they were going to do things the hard way by manipulating each other.

The real question was: who was going to break first?


End file.
